


Lakeside Romantics

by Ellerigby13



Series: 2019 Valentine's Date-a-palooza [11]
Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Mutual Pining, Picnics, Valentine's Day Prompts, Walks On The Beach
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-21
Updated: 2019-02-21
Packaged: 2019-11-01 17:25:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17871596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellerigby13/pseuds/Ellerigby13
Summary: Kieran has something for Mary-Beth, and all he asks in return is that she read to him.  Karen, Sean, and Arthur, of course, are fascinated to see how events transpire.For my 2019 Valentine's Date-a-palooza :)





	Lakeside Romantics

**Author's Note:**

  * For [famderlinde](https://archiveofourown.org/users/famderlinde/gifts).



“Miss Gaskill?”

The voice across from her was soft and meek, and when Mary-Beth lifted her gaze from the tattered, secondhand copy of the book between her hands, Kieran Duffy stood in front of her, the usual presence of his trusty steed Branwen noticeably absent.  Kieran was covered in dust from tending the horses, and he seemed to be uncomfortably aware of it, having taken his hat off his head and twisting it between his fingers. Mary-Beth offered him a gentle smile before tucking down the corner of the page she’d been on and setting the book in her lap.

“Hey, Kieran.”  He took a cautious step closer, pressing his hat to his chest.  “How’re you doing?”

“J-just fine, miss...say, I was...I was wondering.”  She waited patiently, as he fumbled over his words, but smiled, a ginger sort of joy, or anticipation, in whatever he was about to ask her.  “Do you reckon you’d wanna go for a walk with me?” He gestured to the lakeside behind him, the stretch of sand that led into the clear blue water.  “I cooked up a turkey I caught, and I thought we could have lunch...and maybe you could read me some of your book?”

Mary-Beth’s fond smile widened, and she got her feet beneath her.  “That sounds lovely. Let me fetch my bedroll - that way we don’t have to sit right in the sand.”

The sun shone down gently enough on Clemens Point, especially once Mary-Beth and Kieran made their way down to the shore, much to the amusement of Karen, Sean, and Arthur, who had one-by-one caught sight of the perhaps unlikely twosome strolling away from camp and had plopped onto the blanket the girls usually shared.  Mary-Beth felt her cheeks redden, and raised a hand in farewell to her friends, praying without much hope that they’d mind themselves, instead of her. Karen idly waved back, a satisfied look on her face as she sucked on a lollipop she’d found.

“Your friends, um…” Kieran began, as he knelt at the shoreside and began to parse out the turkey he’d grilled onto two of the plates borrowed from Pearson’s station.  “They care about you a whole lot.”

Mary-Beth laid out her bedroll and sat on one end to leave plenty of room for him, thanking him when he passed her a plate.  “They’re good folks. Took me in when I was only a girl.” She laughed, remembering crossing paths with Arthur and Hosea the very first time.  “I’d gotten myself into a little bit of trouble, stole cash and watches off these three big fellers? Arthur and Hosea didn’t know me at all, but Hosea took one look at me and he and Arthur put his guns to those fellers, told them they was lucky getting away without a pound of lead in each of ‘em.”

“Y’all are like family, ain’t you?”  Kieran folded his legs and passed her a fork.  “The terrifying Van der Linde gang.”

“We ain’t so terrifying, once you get to know us.”  He was squinting a little in the light, but there was something kind to his smile.  Something innocent. “Did you have anyone, before the O’Driscolls? Anyone like family?”

The innocent smile faded, and Mary-Beth felt, for a short moment, regret, for prying into it.  But Kieran shrugged, roughly sawing at a piece of white meat with the side of his fork. “My pa died a little after I was born.  He, er, he fought in the war, and had all sorts of infections for about ten years after. It was good he passed when he did.” He looked up, a sort of panic on his face.  “Not that I wanted my pa to die - he just shouldn’t...shouldn’t suffer, you know?”

“No,” she repeated softly.  He waited a moment, chewing on his lip, before continuing.

“My ma died when I was about thirteen.  Hunting accident.” They ate in silence for a some time, Mary-Beth’s heart full with solemnity and sympathy and the strange need to reach out for Kieran’s hand.  “She was a good woman, my ma. Strong in a way I wasn’t.”

“Oh, Kieran,” Mary-Beth said, and allowed that strange need to take hold of her, and her hand to rest on top of his.  Kieran’s face filled with color, but in her moment of blind courage or blind stupidity, she didn’t dare move her hand away from his.  “You’re plenty strong.”

“Now, Miss Mary-Beth - ”

“I mean it.”  She ran his thumb over his scarred knuckle, and wondered what it might be like to kiss those scars.  “Most men wouldn’t pursue joining a gang where they’ve been threatened with gelding tongs.”

He laughed now, a genuine laugh that seemed to erupt from deep in his belly.  “Bill Williamson certainly liked to see me squirm, but I don’t think he could do me no harm if he tried.”  His hand was still under hers. “Do you think you could read me some of that book, Mary-Beth?”

She smiled and opened her book to the very beginning, knowing that if Kieran wanted to hear the story proper, he’d have to hear it whole.

“A green and yellow parrot, which hung in a cage outside the door, kept repeating over and over…”

She didn’t take her hand off his until the sun drew low and the book had nearly finished.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading!! Hope you enjoyed :)  
> The book that Mary-Beth is reading is The Awakening by Kate Chopin, and the first line that she reads is quoted directly from the book :)


End file.
